Red Roses.

Friendly Local Witch

Ruby walked quickly and quietly down the dirt pathway through the forest, red hood up, covering her short raven hair and delicate-featured face. Everything about the girl was tiny and appeared weak; dainty; pretty. Yet the opposite was true. The later, especially, in what was her true form. But the author digresses. She soon comes to the outskirts of a town. 'Welcome to Backwater', a dilapidated and melancholy sign wavering slightly in the wind reads in weathered black text. She sighs lightly, looking at it. This was the place. Here, she had been told, an old grandmother of thirteen laid, laid on her deathbed, singing her final days away to the children. Though quite sad, as Ruby thought it, it was nice to have a calmer trip. Everyone needs a break now and again, yes?As she strolled down the quiet, yet warm with life and love of families inside the houses surrounding street, she smiles softly, enjoying the piano music and joyful singing coming from a nearby bar.And Ruby assured herself that nothing could go wrong.

Snaps

Anastasia looked around idly as she walked down the street,so warm and family oriented..wasn't quite her scene. But alas they had chosen to throw her here,of all places. She had to admit it did give her a sense of home,somewhat. But it was still pretty drab and homey for her tastes.

Friendly Local Witch

Ruby looked down at a small paper map in her hands which she had unfolded, looking up soon after to find the home which was marked. She slowed and stood in her spot upon seeing another figure approaching. Her chest tightened and she could feel herself tingle with 'fight or flight' instincts, not sure as to who they were. They could be a normal human, of course, but one could never be too careful; she has had to fight Beasts that could hold a human shape. Ruby stood there, frozen solid, watching the figure approach. She used only the best of her acting skills to show on her face that she was simply a girl passing through whom was curious as to who the person approaching was, and not a woman who feared for the living around her.

Snaps

Anastasia took note to the woman who was standing with a map and gazing curiously at her. She nodded at her politely and shot her a small smirk of a smile. She appeared just a normal girl who was lost or something, thats what maps usually indicated.She didn't pay much mind to that she could be fearing for anything,or have ulterior motives,looks were deceiving.

Friendly Local Witch

Alright, polite nodding is good. So are cute little smiles. She'll trust her. Ruby could always use someone from around there, as she planned to stay for awhile after walking the old woman to Heaven. the Almighty had issued her a break from her work, and since she would be there, He said that she should stay there and 'keep watch' over His 'dear sheep of Backwater' until she was needed again.Damn Almighty could never just out and say 'Stay there until I need you again okay?'. Oh, noooo. Gotta make it a whole novel.Ugh.Ruby cleared her throat and smiled and returned, approaching the woman. "Hello," she told her, her voice soft and nasal in a cute way (another factor that helped her disguise), "are you from around here?"

Snaps

Anastasia smirked at her again "Hey." She said,wow..she sounded adorable as well. "Nah,parents decided to move out here for whatever reason.We just got here about a week ago." She lied smoothly,She'd been sent up from some corner of evil and darkness on a top secret mission which the narrator is not at bay to share.

Friendly Local Witch

Ruby smiled softly at her in return. "I see." Hm, alright then. She'll roll with it. For now. "Okay, so, uh...do you know where"--she glanced down at the map in her hands, shifting her weight to one leg and popping her hip out as she scanned the page--"Miss Hanson lives?" It told her on her map, of course, but the magical maps the Almighty handed out these days weren't really top notch. Someone who's been here a week's word could make her trust what the paper said more.

Snaps

She raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the map. She took note at the red X and took a moment to recall where that was. "Oh! Isn't that the big manor up the road?" She pondered,the location on the map looked familliar...she had passed by it a few times in her little time in town. She scratched her arms and looked at the girl and then around again.

Friendly Local Witch

"Hm, ah, yes, that's not surprising," Ruby muttered. The information that she was one of the richest people in this small town had been relayed to her. A big manor wasn't much of shock. Ruby grinned at the girl, pushing her hood down and bowing slightly. "Thank you very much!" She glanced behind herself for a moment absently. "I'm Ruby."

Snaps

"Mhm." Anastasia said with a nod. She knew what she needed to about individuals in the town but not much else.They were so terribly vague when it came to relaying information.."You're welcome." She said,shooting her a smile. "It's a pleasure, I'm Anastasia."

Friendly Local Witch

"Anastasia?" She'd never heard of such a pretty, cool name. "Pretty!" She tilted her head cheerfully, hands moving to rest on her hips in her usual relaxed position of hands-on-hips, hip-popped, chest-puffed-out. Ruby was honestly curious, feeling very drawn to this girl. Perhaps because she was the first person she's ever spoken to that wasn't marked to die for this long, or because she's the first person she's met here.

Snaps

"Yep." She nodded "Thanks!" She smilled. She shifted her Weight from one leg to another and stood casually. Anastasia was curios as well,she liked this girl..she was cheery but not in an annoying way.There was something different about her,mysterious almost.

Friendly Local Witch

"You're welcome. Where are you headed?" Ruby inquired, stepping closer, her arms now crossed over her chest. She stopped, glancing behind Anastasia. Her emotion grew soft, which turned into a frown.Really? Ruby groaned in thought. Did this have to happen?Behind Anastasia, down at the end of the main road at the edge of the woods, stood a Bigbad that prowled forward. She hated these types of Beasts, whom were a totally shadowy black in color with reddish hellfire eyes. They walked like both and animal and human at the same time, high up on their bear-like back legs, with the face and front of a wolf. It caught one glimpse at the girl and snarled, approaching down the road more quickly, though to those with an eye less keen than hers the Bigbad was nothing more than a ripple of movement in the forest.

Snaps

"Was just headed down to the main part of town." She raised her eyebrow at her expression change. She turned around to where she was looking,she twitched seeing the ripple,some hell dog? God she hated those..they were so lowly on the demonic lader,the watch dog for more powerful dark creatures.

Friendly Local Witch

Ruby sighed, expression hardening as she undid her cloak. It fell off her person behind her and Ruby reached back to a thick, plank-like stick attached to her back such as an archer's quiver. She pulled it out from behind her and turned back around to sweep up her cloak and hold it out to Anastasia. "Could you hold this, please?" she asked, and as she did the bar mechanically unfolded into a giant silver and garnet scythe, with what appeared to be a machine gun attached to its tip near the large blade.

Snaps

"Impressive hardware." Anastasia smirked and looked at her sycthe as it unfolded and elongated. "Sure thing." She said and took hold of her cloak,holding it over her arm. She looked from Ruby to the oncoming beast. Death in the afternoon,her favorite.

Friendly Local Witch

"Thank you, made it myself. Excuse me for a moment." Ruby ran a few paces toward the beast so she could fight nearer to the forest and not alarm many people. She turned the scythe on its end and shot the gun, propelling her up into the air with a great force, yet with little noise. Coming back down, she caught the Bigbad's neck with the curved blade and whipped around in a large semicircle around it, lacerating it. It gave a angry growl of pain which Ruby silenced with another slice to the snout, effectively cutting off its nose entirely. Dark, oil-like blood gushed out of the wound, splattering Ruby's face, hair, and clothing. She looked down at it in disgust for just a second, which caught her off guard enough for the Bigbad to slash its giant arm across her waist and throw her into a tree.

Snaps

"Really? That's awesome." She commented and watch in slight Amusement as she slashed at the big bad with her scythe. She cringed slighty when it clawed her and sent her flying into a tree. She slithered forward slightly and rested her hand on her well concealed wepon and contemplated if she needed to step in. She looked from ruby to the beast.

Friendly Local Witch

After some moments of playing dead--or at least, out cold--the Bigbad approached, planning to feast upon her body and soul. Ruby laid, eyes closed yet eyelids quivering, waiting until it opened its giant mouth...Upon when she grabbed her scythe, flipped it around, and shot up the beast's jaws, hitting the sweet spot of its brain and causing it to tumble down. It writhed in pain for only a few seconds before death. Ruby stood, dusting the dirt off her black tights and wondering what in the world she would do to get the black blood stains off of her pretty red and white dress.

Snaps

She watched the scene play out,smart move,,playing dead and they taking it's brains out, she thought to herself. She moved closer once it was assured dead. "You alright? Looked like it took a pretty good chunk of your waist." Anastasia asked,expression soft. She glanced at the dead beast before back at Ruby,looking her up and down.

Friendly Local Witch

Ruby gasped quietly, looking up at Anastasia. She had forgotten she was being watched, though her expression soon changed to a sweet smile. "I'm fine, thank you! It sure did..." She looked down at herself again, noticing the little tear in her dress at her waist with her unnatural bright cherry red blood soaking the edges of the fabric. "Oh, it got my dress. Dammit...," she grumbled, lifting up the edge of it just a bit to make sure there weren't any rips in the thighs of her tights, which thankfully had none. Ruby looked back up at Anastasia, seeming to be very disappointed at how gross she must look. "... May I have my cloak back?"

Snaps

Se quirked her eyebrow a few centimeters,before mentally shrugging it off and smiling lightly once more. "Good," She nodded. Anastasia looked down at the little tear. "Sorry about your dress" She noticed the unaturally cherry red blood but wasn't fased much. Abnormal was pretty normal to her,she was curious though as to what ruby was. "Your bloods a pretty peculiar hue." She commented casually,almost as an afterthought. "Oh of course." She nodded and handed her back the cloak.

Friendly Local Witch

"Oh, ah...!" Ruby quickly snatched away her cloak and tied it at her neck, covering herself with it by pinching together at her chest with one hand, hiding the majority of her body. They scythe closed up to its plank form and Ruby picked it up from its place on the ground and put it back in its place behind her. She smiled brightly as if none of that just happened; well, disregarding the black ooze that dribbled down her forehead, cheek, and over her fittingly ruby red lips.

Snaps

"Hm?" Anastasia inquired with raised eyebrows. She crossed her arms across her chest and leaned casually to one side. The way she hastily covere up Lea her to be curious to what secrets she was hiding. The fact that she just grinned like nothing had happend made her even more curious.

Friendly Local Witch

((Psst. I have an idea to speed things along.Basically all of these is just an "and that's how it happened" in terms of "and that's how we met", and now it's like months later and they still live in the same town and they're friends and they know what each other are.I want to post this but I wanted to ask first and you'll notice this more than you would a PM I think so. uwu))